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by Warren Greene
Runner's World provides the most useful and credible reviews of the latest running shoes. Thirty new running shoes are poked and prodded in the Shoe Lab and evaluated by hundreds of wear-testers. Shoes… aren't ranked, but models are grouped according to type and editors select seven models for special praise. The Asics Gel-Kayano 15 wins the Editor's Choice award for 2009, and the Saucony ProGrid Stabil CS and New Balance 1063 both win Best Update or "most improved." Runner's World picks the Karhu Strong Fulcrum Ride, Karhu Fluid Fulcrum Ride and the Saucony ProGrid Echelon as the Best Debuts of the year. Finally, the Mizuno Wave Nexus 3 wins the Best Buy distinction for 2009. The winter shoe guide in the December 2008 issue also features valuable reviews of several shoes that are reviewed by other sources.
by R. Clinghan, G. Arnold, T. Drew, L. Cochrane, and R. Abboud
This British study aims to find if more expensive running shoes provide better cushioning and plantar pressure than less expensive shoes from the same (undisclosed) brands. Three pairs of running shoes were… bought from three different manufacturers at three different price ranges. Plantar pressure measurements were recorded from under the heel, across the forefoot and under the great toe among 55 participants. Low- and medium-cost running shoes in each of the three brands offered the same, if not superior, cushioning and plantar pressure as high-cost running shoes. No specific brands or shoe models are identified, but the study is still informative. What's not tested is durability, so the question of whether pricey shoes last longer goes unanswered.
by Brian Metzler
Brian Metlzer of National Geographic Adventure Magazine also writes the Running Times shoe guide (noted below), but the National Geographic review is slightly more valuable because there is a pick in each… category and the shoes are rated on various criteria. The reviews are short, and there's not much information to tell us who performed the testing or how many people were involved. The Saucony ProGrid Paramount is singled out as the best shoe for high-mileage runners, and the New Balance 1011 is Adventure's pick for overpronators. The Newton Gravity wins the award for most innovative.
by Sarah Bowen Shea
Shape magazine enlists 300 women to test over 40 new running, walking and trail shoes for their annual spring shoe guide. Based on user feedback, Shape picks the best running shoes of the year in various… categories. The reviews are useful, especially given the number of women enlisted to test the latest shoes, but the testing criteria are not explained. Shape picks the New Balance 749 for best stability shoe, the Nike Zoom Start+ for best cushioned shoe and the Under Armour Apparition for speed workouts. The Brooks Infiniti 2 is Shape's pick for distance runners.
by Brian Metzler
by Karina Evertsen
Editors at Women's Adventure magazine spent six months testing numerous running shoes, ultimately choosing four models as Editor's Choice winners for 2009. Their reviews are based on tester feedback, but… they don't compare models or cast a critical eye on any of the shoes. The Asics Gel-Kayano 15 earns an Editor's Choice award. The New Balance 769 ST, Saucony ProGrid Triumph 6 and Brooks Infiniti 2 complete the magazine's picks for 2009.
by Mathew Honan
by Greg Melville
by Contributors to Buzzillions.com
Consumer-review websites used to be pretty unhelpful when evaluating running shoes, but that is starting to change. The selection of running-shoe reviews on Buzzillions.com is extensive and some of the… top-rated shoes have hundreds of individual consumer reviews. Buzzillions collects reviews from other, more obscure sites. Surprisingly, even some of the newest models have attracted several dozen reviews, although the best-reviewed shoes on the site are now discontinued.
by Editors of Blue Ridge Outdoors
by John Rogers
by Contributors to RoadRunnerSports.com
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
by Joe Nuss
by Tom Ruthven
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